Saudi Arabia- Muted response to H1N1 vaccination campaign

(MENAFN - Arab News) The H1N1 vaccination campaign across the Kingdom has been marked by a low turnout.

Thirty-two health centers in Makkah launched the campaign on Saturday. Few people, however, turned up at the centers to get the vaccination. It is thought that claims on the Internet and in the media about the vaccine having harmful side effects kept many people at bay.

Bandar Nawab, who is on Haj duty, said he took the vaccine fearing a possible swine flu outbreak during Haj. Among those taking the vaccine were children below three. Before administering the vaccine, health workers explain to the people the potential side effects, which include soreness, redness or swelling where the shot is given, fainting (mainly in adolescents), headaches, muscle aches, fever and nausea.

Last Saturday, Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah launched the first stage of the campaign in Riyadh. The campaign is aimed primarily at local Haj pilgrims, health officials and people working in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites during the annual pilgrimage.

The first person to receive the vaccination in Madinah was Dr. Khaled ibn Abdul Aziz Yassin, director of Health Affairs in Madinah area. Yassin said vaccination is being administered at around 30 hospitals and health centers in the area. He said the vaccination is safe and denied it has any adverse side effects.

Health centers in Riyadh have also seen a poor turnout of people at vaccination centers. The Ministry of Health had requested pilgrims to take the vaccination at least 10 days before departing for Haj. Local pilgrims from Riyadh and Dammam are set to leave on Nov. 22 or 23, depending on when Arafat Day is according to the sighting of the moon. Moulavi Mohammed Basheer, who is leading a group of 100 pilgrims from Riyadh, said that members of the group had shown no interest in getting vaccinated. "Since the vaccination is not mandatory, we cannot force pilgrims to take it," said Basheer.

Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani told Arab News the ministry is to receive feedback about its vaccination program on Sunday. He added that the Ministry of Health has taken all possible measures to safeguard pilgrims from the disease.

He added that only two pilgrims have so far been found to have contracted swine flu. "There is no cause for alarm since this is only a fraction of some 700,000 pilgrims who have already arrived," he said, adding that the National Scientific Committee for Infectious Diseases headed by Health Minister Al-Rabeeah has been monitoring the disease around the clock.

In Jeddah, Dr. Sami Badawood, regional director of Health Affairs, denied reports that people were not taking the vaccine. "On the contrary, designated health centers have been receiving large numbers of people wanting to be vaccinated," he said. "We are receiving many inquiries and requests from various bodies wishing to get their staff vaccinated. Those include consulates, government departments and newspapers wishing to send their staff to Makkah and the holy sites to cover the pilgrimage," he said. Badawood added that the Department of Health Affairs will soon send teams of nurses to vaccinate staff at their work places. Commenting on the availability of the vaccine in Jeddah, he said arrangements would be made with the help of the Ministry of Health to send more vaccines when 80 percent of the current quantity of 60,000 doses is used.

By Hamid Al-Sulami, with input from Muhammad Humaidan, Md Rasooldeen and Yousuf Muhammad

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093282870&src=MOEN.